Last Saturday, the question inspiring my sermon study was this:With the big day of resurrection behind us, how do we keep noticing the patterns of birth and resurrection enough to participate in the New Creation? The scripture I intended to answer that question with was this:So now, those who are in Christ Jesus are not […]

Holy Days exist as placeholders for intentional spiritual reflection and religious remembering. While they may not always be experienced as such, holy days are days set aside to become curious again, to ask questions again, to feel a sense of aliveness again. These days are opportunities to affirm, deepen and maybe even ditch some of […]

Inspired by verses from John 14: 1-4; 5-14John 14: 1-4 (NRSV)“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I […]

Inspired by verses from Psalm 22For the past several weeks we have been focusing on the Psalms in worship. I find the Psalms welcoming terrain because relating to them doesn’t require fully understanding their context. Psalms are less about intellectual mastery and much more about emotional solidarity.  In their most basic reading, the Psalms exist as blueprints […]

Knowing where to begin can be tricky. Let me start by saying that 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 can be a bit of a troublemaker. Not on its own. On its own, I am sure it would be fine. The trouble comes when it gets mixed up with a contemporary human interpretation. A seemingly innocent scripture pressured into having […]

Inspired by Psalm 139:1-6Psalm 139: 1-6 is one of the first scriptures I have read as being complete without explanation. To add anything risks ruining something perfectly simple, something succinctly pure. Psalm 139:1-6 is a passage waiting for us, tucked in, and cozied up deep into the psalms. A sleeping giant offering a literary blanket […]

One week into the new year and the term ‘unprecedented’ floods back into our daily vocabulary. Another unprecedented event thrown upon a world weary with the weight of trauma and tragedy. One week into 2021 and it is apparent that the ills of our national culture are not bound by any calendar year. The societal […]

Ever since I read the book The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (Wohl-lee-ben) and learned that trees could feel the bite of an insect into one of their leaves, I have been horrified by human carvings in the trunks of trees. If a tree can feel the bite of an insect into a leaf, how […]

As we prepare for Christmas Eve, anticipating the traditional lighting of our candles and the communal singing of Silent Night, I am cognizant of the familiarity this year has given us with our own Silent Nights.   This time last year gathered together at The Land, none of us would have guessed that a global […]

A pastor stood behind the pulpit with sweaty palms and a racing heart, knowing that the sermon he was about to preach to the congregation was embarrassingly lacking. Desperately praying for God’s intervention, the pastor noticed out of the corner of his eye a letter floating down from the sky. Relieved, the pastor rushed to […]